Why Go Clubbing?
by skyedragon2
Summary: Why go clubbing? Because you might meet a cute, blonde there of course! An encounter between Kurogane and Fai that might lead to something more then either of them expected. Angst, KuroFai and very brief bits of Ashura/Fai.
1. The Encounter

**A/N**: **This is going absolutly no where just so you all know. Let your imagination wander as it will. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in here. CLAMP does and I'm jealous. See if I owned them, Fai would be the main character and Kurogane would be his puppy. **

Kurogane felt like he was going into sensory overload. The room was dimly lit save for a few strobe lights that flashed, causing everything to look distorted and sketchy. The music was deafening, the bass pounding into his skull, rattling his brain. He felt off kilter, his inner balance disturbed. He was on edge, eyes flicking as he took in the scene before him.

The club was filled with the scent of smoke, alcohol and sweat. A mass of heaving bodies were entangled on the dance floor. Feet stomped, arms waved, and hips swayed. Hands clapped, heads bobbed, and mouths moved along with the lyrics of every song. Kurogane hung back, trying to avoid as much contact as possible. But he was still jostled and bumped as drunken patrons exited the building.

A loud shout drew his attention up from the floor to two figures marching towards the door. The first of the pair was a tall, lanky, blonde man. The young man held the other individual by his ear, who was hissing profanities with every sharp jerk. Kurogane watched with mild interest as the blonde all but kicked the other out of the club.

Blondie glanced up sharply, catching Kurogane's unashamed stare straight on. Kurogane would have looked away, except that the man's eyes were the most captivating shade of blue that he had ever seen. They were a crystal clear sapphire that swirled with hidden emotion, shining in the club's dim lights.

The man glared at Kurogane, watching him suspiciously, waiting for him to say something. Kurogane felt the need to comply.

"What was that?" The blonde's expression dropped, replaced with a blank, uninterested mask.

"I don't appreciate drug dealers in my club." The man's voice was low and quiet, bashful and shy with just a tiny undertone of outgoing hidden among its timbres.

Kurogane shrugged, "Understandable." The man grinned tightly for a fleeting second, letting Kurogane glimpse a softer side to his otherwise harsh exterior.

"Wait….this is your club?"

The blonde man held out a small, slender hand, "Fai D. Flowright at your service."

Kurogane extended his own hand, marveling at the difference in skin tone. His was a dark tan from intense training under a beating sun. Fai's spoke of a softer existence, one without much hardship or at least manual labor. Kurogane took the smaller hand and shook it once, before letting it drop.

Fai blinked up at him with those humongous cerulean eyes, shining with a new light of curiosity. "Kurogane? Don't you have a last name?"

Kurogane just grunted, his normal response to this question. "Just Kurogane."

Fai smiled, a tiny gesture that held no real warmth of even humor. Just a motion for show, nothing more. "So 'Just Kurogane', what brings you to my humble, little club?"

Kurogane glanced down at the younger man out of the corner of his eye. Fai was gazing around the dance floor, his expression emotionless. Something about this irked Kurogane. He looked so lonely even when he was surrounded by so many people. He seemed to grow smaller by the second, shoulders hunched inward as if in an attempt to protect himself from attack. Kurogane wondered what could cause such a thing when he realized that Fai was expecting an answer.

"What do you mean exactly?"

Fai smirked, the first real sign of emotion that he had made. "Where to start?" He sarcastically tapped long, thin fingers against his chin. "Your clothes for starters. Absolutely atrocious, especially for clubbing. You're also not dancing. You're actually reminding me very much of a wall flower at her very first school dance. You don't reek of alcohol, meaning that you aren't here for the bar. You're not even tapping your foot to the beat of the music. You don't seem to be enjoying yourself at all, until you fell into conversation with me that is." Fai glanced up from under his eyelashes, a smirk curling up onto his lips.

Kurogane actually blushed but managed to choke out, "What makes you think I'm even enjoying talking to you?"

The smile dropped, "Perhaps not then."

Kurogane nearly kicked himself for letting that hint of a smile slip through his fingers. An actual one would be quite beautiful he decided. In answer to the question he replied, "I'm babysitting my younger sister."

A minuscule chuckled tumbled from Fai's lips. It was a nice sound, reminding Kurogane of bells or perhaps a summer breeze. But what was so funny?

"So you have a sister complex?" Fai asked casually.

"Please, do tell how you came to that conclusion." Kurogane barked, glaring down at the blonde.

"Oh it's quite simple really. You're not enjoying yourself but you're still here. You're also still _here_ here, meaning you're not begging her to leave so that you can both go home. You want her to enjoy herself correct? I've also noticed that about every five minutes or so you scan the crowd, making sure she's safe I presume?" Fai explained, waving a hand in a lazy gesture.

"You have me all figured out, don't ya?" Kurogane smirked.

"Ah contra, there is much more to you then meets the eye, Kuro-poo. Besides, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look out for a younger sibling. I wish I had such an older brother." Fai stopped abruptly, a strange, lonely gleam flickering across his brow. Kurogane sensed a deeper meaning behind his words, running through the conversation in his head. Something happened to a brother of Fai's possibly?

"You okay?"

Sapphire eyes met ruby. "Yes, please excuse me." There was an awkward pause as both fell into a lapse of silence.

"So who's the lucky lady?" Fai asked, in a somewhat strained, lighter tone.

Kurogane blanched. "Huh?!"

A trickle of a smile shown through Fai's façade at Kurogane's confusion, "Who's your sister?"

Kurogane rubbed the back of his neck in relief, "Oh, her name's Tomoyo."

"Tomoyo?! So you're the big brother in shining armor that she's always talking about?" Fai asked in genuine disbelief. Kurogane looked up is surprise, "You know her?"

The blonde nodded vigorously, "Yeah, she comes around here quite often. Quite a charming girl, if I do say myself."

Kurogane smiled knowingly to himself, "Yeah, she's leaves quite an impression."

They lapsed into silence again, this time a companionable peace, each watching the dance floor before him. Kurogane caught a glance of Tomoyo who had found a dancing partner in a smaller girl with light brown hair and a pink, flowing dress. Fai was making sure no one was drunk enough to cause any unwanted commotion.

A shrill ring tone emanated from Fai's jeans pocket. He visibly drooped as he took out a bright blue cell phone and read the caller I.D. "Ashura," was his greeting.

Kurogane watched in mild concern as Fai nodded mutely to what ever Ashura was telling him. A minute or two later Fai closed the phone with an audile snap and let out a weary sigh. He turned his head to face Kurogane, "It was a pleasure talking to you 'Just Kurogane'. Please excuse me; I have a less then pleased companion to attend too."

Fai turned on his heel, striding towards the back exit of the club. Kurogane watched him go, hips swaying and golden hair flashing with the colored lights. Damn, he still hadn't gotten a smile outta the man.

"Hey Flowright!" he called out. Fai turned around, surprise coloring his face.

"Tomoyo's dragging me out here again next Friday."

Blank expression. Then a crack. Then a hint. And finally a small fleeting flash of a smile. Breathtaking. "Well then, I suppose I shall have to entertain you again then, won't I?"

Kurogane dragged a hand through his jet black hair, "Yeah, I suppose."


	2. Threads of Dread

**A/N: Wow, was I surprised! Everyone who reviewed asked me to continue this story! And who am I to deny the masses? So I'll do my best, but don't expect too much, I normally write fluff, so a serious story is going to be tough for me to update. Please be patient with me! And please excuse my choice of car for Ashura, it just looks cool :) Look it up if you haven't seen one! And if anyone knows what color Ashura's eyes are PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the following characters. They all belong to CLAMP…..darn the lucky buggers. And I don't own any of the proper pronouns that are bound to show up. **

A sleek, black Audi R8 pulled up along the curb just as Fai D. Flourite stepped out of the back exit of his club, _The Ice Crystal_. His long white coat swirled around him as a chilly, September breeze swept through the air. He made his way casually towards the parked car, black boots clunking with every step. The driver of the car jumped out of it and hurried to the other side, his uniform marking him as one of Ashura's personal chauffeurs. The man quickly swung open the car's door for Fai, bowing as he did so.

Fai glanced at him with repulsion. How could he stand to be so servile? But then he had to remind himself that this was Ashura that the man worked for. Ashura had an air about him that just commanded respect, loyalty and a total lack of self pride. He made you want to please him, like he was some sort of god. After all, Fai would follow him anywhere at a flick of his finger, wouldn't he?

Fai slid into the car, disgusted with himself, disgusted with the chauffeur, disgusted with the world. When he was by himself he could create reasons for why he hated Ashura. The man was selfish and egotistical. He was cruel and demanding. More, then anything, he was controlling. He was everything Fai would normally despise in a person. But he was also addicting.

When Fai was with him, Fai would never have to worry about anything. Ashura would take care of him. Ashura would protect him from the horrors of the world. The only thing that Fai would have to give to Ashura would be himself. "And I did, blindly." Fai laughed out loud, choking on his own stupidity.

"Was there something you needed sir?" The chauffeur asked warily, apprehensive of the tone of Fai's voice. Fai just shook his head and let the driver continue on his way, as he drowned in self misery.

The thought of the man Fai had met at the club vaguely crossed his mind. Kurogane, was it? He'd been nice. He didn't seem like he had an ulterior motive with every word the poured from his lips. Everything about him had been straight forward and honest.

_I wish I'd met him some time ago_, Fai decided as Ashura's building came into view, _then maybe things would have turned out differently. _

When the car pulled up to the fancy apartment building, Fai stepped out into the chilly air, shivering. The door hop fell into a polite bow as he opened the door for Fai, "Mr. Flourite, Mr. Ashura is waiting for you." The blonde only answered him with a swift nod before sweeping inside. He rode up to the thirtieth floor only stopping twice on the twenty-second floor for a lady to join him and then leave on the next one. When he finally reached his destination, Fai slipped out of the elevator, walking quietly down the narrow hallway, his footsteps silenced by the plush carpet. He dragged an access card out of a pocket hidden deep within his coat and slid it through a scanner. The light blinked green in confirmation and the door automatically unlocked. Fai turned the knob with a sense of dread and entered the apartment.

He didn't bother turning on the light, all too familiar with the lay out of the residence. A low voice was wafting from the living room. Hesitantly, Fai entered the room. Ashura sat sprawled across an expensive, leather coach still managing to look refined and distinguished. He was murmuring into a cell phone, only pausing briefly to glance up at Fai with clear, unreadable eyes before going back to his conversation. A pale hand extended, a single finger crooked to indicate that Fai should come forward. Fai exhaled, barely audible as he walked forward and knelt on the ground in front of Ashura. Ashura's hand ran through golden hair, swirling the pale strands around his fingers, the gesture sending a shiver up Fai's spine. A hand came to rest upon his cheek, Fai nuzzling against it at the familiarity, his reasons slipping away with every stroke of Ashura's hand. A small smile crept up onto Ashura's face as he snapped his phone close, the sound cutting through the silence. Fai felt the thread of dread tugging at the back of his mind as Ashura's attention became focused entirely upon on him.

"And how is my pretty pet today?" The voice was calming and loving, whispered as one might to a beloved. Fai let his head fall into Ashura's lap as the final string was cut away and he sank into the warm embrace and soothing hands.

**A/N: Ugh, I'm trying to make the relationship between Fai and Ashura seem unhealthy but my own fangirlism is preventing me from doing so. I admit that I support Fai/Ashura (but KuroFai is better!). This will be a KuroFai eventually….But I've got to throw in some angst somewhere and I'm trying, I really am. Fai's point of view was really hard too! So be prepared for a lot more of Kurogane's point of view, it's much easier for me. **


	3. A Question?

**A/N: Chapter Three! Woot! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or added this story to their favorite! It makes me feel really special! I continue to try my best and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Warning: This chapter contains alcoholic drinking. Please remember that there is an age requirement to drink such alcoholic beverages. **

**DISCLAIMER: Any proper pronouns don't belong to me…..unfortunately. **

God, why had he come here again? The guy was probably busy doing what ever it is that club owners do. He probably didn't even remember Kurogane, let alone the fact that he would be here today. But it was too late to leave now; Tomoyo had spotted some of her friends and had disappeared with them onto the crowded dance floor. He meandered his way towards the bar, at a loss as to how to waste the time he now found himself with. He plopped himself down onto a wobbly stool and propped his chin up with a hand, his elbow resting on the relatively clean counter. The bartender nodded to him, acknowledging his presence but she was busy with another customer. He watched her with mild interest as she searched through multi-colored bottles with ease, pulling several down from the shelves. She carefully placed them on the opposite counter while with the other hand she hooked several glasses and placed them down next to the bottles. With a practiced hand she began to mix the liquids, clear vodka blending with crimson cranberry juice, whisky swirling with an assortment of sodas. When she had finished, she deftly lifted all of the glasses in her nimble hands and distributed them to her customers.

"Fascinating isn't it?" A cool voice almost purred into Kurogane's ear. Kurogane nearly jumped out of his seat with surprise, spinning in his seat to confront his company. Bright, blue eyes shone with silent mirth, an infinitesimal smirk playing upon thin lips. Blonde hair swirled around the newcomer's delicate face, bringing out the paleness of the man's skin. The man watched him for a few moments, gauging Kurogane's reaction. When he had determined that he wasn't about to get told to get lost, he continued.

"I never get tired of watching my bartenders, do their work. Isn't that right Chi?" Fai turned his attention to the girl behind the counter. The bartender giggled, white teeth flashing in a gracious smile.

"Whatever you say boss, can I get you or your friend anything?" Fai looked over at Kurogane questioningly, raising a pencil-line thin eyebrow. Kurogane, who had been silent up until now, cleared his throat. He had been immensely surprised that the blonde had shown up and had even remembered him. Speaking would probably be a good thing to do at this point.

"Uh…I really don't drink." Fai smirked, more laughter filling up those beautiful eyes. He spoke to Chi without turning his penetrating gaze away from the dark man.

"My usual, if you would Chi and perhaps a Special for Kuro-poo here?" The girl nodded and turned swiftly, picking up bottles and two glasses. As she stirred the drinks, Kurogane turned back to the blonde man to find himself being intensely scrutinized. He waited but when Fai made no move to continue what little conversation they were having, he began, "Thought I was gonna be shown up tonight….."

Fai sat back in his chair, never letting his gaze waver. "My apologies for being late, I was held back by a close friend for a while." A flash of bitterness crossed the blonde face but was quickly covered up by a plastic grin.

"Missing me that much already Kuro-muro? We've just met! Slow it done a bit, silly!" Kurogane glared down at Fai.

"You're one to talk, what's with the ridiculous nicknames? Kuro-poo? Kuro-muro?" The blonde man let out a very minute chuckle, his face relaxing for a moment or two before the cheesy grin replaced it. "I think it's cute! Don't you like cute? Or are you one of those big, bad, macho, testosterone guys?"

It was Kurogane's turn to suppress a snicker, "No, it's just weird is all."

The blonde just shrugged as Chi placed their orders down in from of them. Fai instantly grabbed his rather fruity looking drink, tiny umbrella and all, and took a long swig. Kurogane was more wary of his drink, which was a rather…_interesting _shade of green with a sprig of mint as a garnish. The blonde noticed Kurogane's hesitation, and smirked.

"It's a Moquito, contains lime and mint, very good if I do say so myself. And for heaven's sake it's not drugged or anything, I do run a very well kept establishment, thank you very much!" The blonde huffed, feigning irritation. The red-eyed man sighed and took a sip, his eyes widening in surprise.

"It's pretty ….good."

Fai looked over at Chi who had been watching the exchange with barely concealed amusement. "You'd think the man has never had a drink in his life."

Kurogane shot the man a sharp look, contempt burning in his eyes for a second. "I normally go for sake or something like that."

"Ah, that makes sense I guess. Not very refined tastes I see." Kurogane glared at the man only to realize he was joking by the smirk that was threatening to break out around his mouth. Something broke inside Kurogane and he grinned darkly.

Boldly and without hesitation he said, "Perhaps you'll just have to change that. I know a place that's supposed to serve the best wine around here; perhaps you'd consider joining me there this Wednesday?"

The blonde man recoiled as if he'd been stung, his big, blue eyes widening even more in surprise. He seemed struck speechless and Kurogane instantly regretted the question. What if he already had a significant other? And who's to say that he even thought about Kurogane that way? Maybe Kurogane was just a happy distraction from his job for a small bit of time? Kurogane felt his spirit falling, he'd spent the entire week imagining today. No matter what he did, he hadn't been able to get the image of the man out of his head. Something about the sad way the man carried himself, drew Kurogane in. And then he'd shown his softer side and Kurogane was hooked. He'd decided that he was going to make that man smile no matter what, at any cost. But what if Fai didn't want that…

The blonde man coughed, drawing Kurogane's attention out of the darker recesses of his mind. The man looked uncomfortable and awkward, shifting his weight as he attempted to come up with a response.

"Look I'm sorry, you can ignore what I--" Kurogane started, but was cut of mid sentence.

Fai looked up sharply, worry piercing his eyes, "No! I'd really like that….it's just that…"

The man trailed off, eyes downcast as they began their descent into misery and confusion. Kurogane left as if his heart had been torn into two. And how was that possible? He'd only met this man last week and already Fai hand a strangle-hold over Kurogane's heart. What could he do to make this man smile again? That was the question that constantly ran through his head.

Kurogane stood up, placing his still full glass onto the counter. Fai looked up in desperation, worried that the man was angry with him. Kurogane instead took a pen out of his jacket and snatched up a napkin. Quickly he scrawled down a set of numbers and thrust the paper into Fai's unsuspecting hands.

"My number, just incase you change your mind…" And with that he turned on his heels and left, a distressed looking Tomoyo following closely on his heels.

**A/N: Agh, Fai's personality doesn't really fit with the personality CLAMP gives him in the manga and I'm having a difficult time keeping it angsty, so I'll probably finish this up in the next two chapters or so. Review and tell me what you think (especially if you think I should quit writing angst stuff immediately….).**

**Wow, I just realized that Fai and Kurogane's conversations are really short and have close to no content whatsoever…..Sorry about that, I'll try to rectify that in the next chapter…. **


	4. Two Phone Calls

**A/N: HUGS TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! AND ANYONE WHO'S ADDED THIS TO THEIR FAVS! I feel so warm and bubbly inside, I really hope this chapter doesn't disappoint *rubs head sheepishly*….Okay so no more stalling, on with some more 'Why Go Clubbing?'!**

Fai had a migraine. To say it was painful would be the understatement of the century. At the moment he was curled under the equivalent of a ton of blankets, attempting to fall asleep. But insomnia seemed to be his only friend tonight. He tossed and turned, before finally giving up. He swung his legs out from under the coverings and pulled himself upright, blinking furiously into the bright sunlight that was seeping in from his half closed blinds. Pulling a blanket around himself, he tottered out from his bedroom and into the bathroom, grabbing a bottle of painkillers before moving on to the kitchen. Weakly, he pulled a glass down from the highest shelf and filled it with tap water, watching the liquid stream into the glass.

It reminded him of last night and he groaned softly with frustration. Why had Kurogane had to go and ask him to dinner? This would only complicate things and Fai hated complications. He had just been looking for a short interruption from his daily routine but then Kurogane had to go and fascinate him. The man was something to look at to say the least and it didn't help that he had a kind personality to match it. He listened when Fai spoke and was so gentle. Fai swirled the water in his glass idly with a long, thin finger. Accidentally, lost in his ponderings, he had hit the side of the glass and it tipped forward, falling and shattering against the floor. Fai glazed down at it blankly and a tear slide down his pale cheek. This was why he couldn't allow Kurogane any closer, everything that Fai came into contact with broke.

-----

"YOU DID WHAT!!?!?!"

"Gods Tomoyo, shut the hell up, your gunna give me a headache." Kurogane complained, shaking his head slightly to rid it of the ringing that Tomoyo's shriek had inflicted. He was currently in his kitchen, elbow deep in soapy water as he and his sister did the dishes.

"Kurogane, this is serious stuff!!!" she whined, "You just asked out Mr. Flourite!!!"

"Why is this so serious Tomoyo? It's not like he's a creeper or anything like that, in fact he's a nice guy. A little weird with the nicknames and such, but whatever." Kurogane looked down at his younger sister who was in deep thought, a look of complete concentration plastered onto her face. He handed her a glass to dry which she took without a word.

"Kurogane, hasn't he told you?" She met his gaze, eyes dead serious.

"Told me what?"

"Mr. Flourite's currently with ."

Kurogane paused in his cleaning, "Ah…..that might explain some stuff."

"Explain what Kurogane?" She tilted her head to the side, puzzled and interested.

"Well, he didn't actually say yes or no, I just gave him with my number and left. He looked kinda freaked out too, but I guess that's cause he's already got somebody. You'd think he wouda told me though…" Kurogane shrugged trying to look nonchalant but inside he was yelling at himself. _Idiot! I should have guessed that he was taken! He's probably laughing his ass of at me this very moment._

"Huh….." Kurogane glanced at Tomoyo who was once again lost in thought.

"What'd ya mean 'huh'?"

She looked up at him cautiously, setting the glass down on the wooden counter, "Don't get your hopes up Kurgy, but I don't think that Mr. Fai and Mr. Ashura get along very well."

Kurogane's breath caught in his chest, "And why would you say that?"

"Well, Mr. Ashura never comes to _The Ice Crystal _in person_, _just sends a car for Mr. Fai. And Mr. Fai always gets phone calls from Mr. Ashura during the day. I don't think that Mr. Ashura likes the fact that Mr. Fai works at a club. They always seem to have arguments and when Mr. Fai comes back, he's always very depressed. I've tried talking to him about it but he always puts on this silly grin and says there's nothing the matter. But I don't believe him."

So apparently Kurogane wasn't the only one who had noticed Fai's facade. Interesting. Kurogane vaguely remembered the phone call that Fai had gotten the first day they had met. Fai had answered it with 'Ashura', he was sure. Kurogane remembered the miserable expression that had slipped across Fai's face as he talked.

Hmmm, maybe he'd have to look into this Ashura character a little more closely.

-----

After his meltdown in the kitchen, Fai had cleaned up the mess and retired to the living room, flicking on the TV for white noise. He had just been drifting off to sleep when his cell phone started chirping. Grumbling profanities, he slouched off the coach and picked it up, answering it without bothering to look at the Caller ID.

"What?"

"Is that anyway to answer a phone, darling?" The voice was sooth and dark, halfway between amused and irritated. Fai was instantly wide awake, grabbing a chair for support. Oh dear gods, he couldn't handle this right now.

"Forgive me Ashura; I'm not feeling that well today, you seem to have caught me at a bad time." Fai muttered softly, hating himself as he apologized to this man.

"Hmph, well I suppose that's too bad then isn't it? You do remember that there is my company's business dinner tonight, don't you? I expect you to be ready by eight; Charles will pick you up at eight-thirty." Ashura dictated, his voice conveying his boredom.

"But Ashura, I'm really not feeling good at all, I don't think it's a good idea that I go…" Fai attempted, but was cut off.

"Now darling, think of how selfish you're being. This dinner is very important and it's couples only. I _need_ you to come along. There's an extremely vital transaction that's going to happen tonight and I need to be there. Now stop being silly and get ready, you only have half an hour left." Ashura sounded slightly annoyed which was puzzling as he always had had a calm demeanor. This must be a very important night then.

But Fai was still feeling nauseous, and wasn't about to go without a fight. "Ashura, I really can't make it tonight, I'm sorry."

"Now Fai, be reasonable, it's just one night! Afterwards you can come home with me and sleep all you want. Don't you love me enough for just this?"

Fai paused, heart stopping for a moment. His hands were shaking and he slide down into the chair. Was he really---? Could he actually say---? After all these years, hiding within Ashura's shadow, could he, being the coward that he was, stand up for himself?

Ashura huffed impatiently, "Fai?"

"No Ashura I don't." Fai spoke calmly, voice stead even as his entire body quaked.

"…What?"

"I don't love you that much; in fact, I don't love you at all."

And with that, Fai slammed his cell phone shut, and let it drop to the floor. He was free, finally and completely. He stared into space, completely numb, eyes roving around his apartment before they landed on a white napkin that was sitting on the kitchen counter top, half covered by various papers. Still shaking, he got up, picked up his dropped cell phone and marched over to the counter. Pulling the napkin out from under the pile, he flipped open the phone and began to dial.

**A/N: And the happy ending is in sight! Or is it? Lol, until next time: Read and review please!**


	5. The Finale

**A/N: And we have the conclusion to 'Why Go Clubbing?'…..it kinda makes me sad in a way. I didn't think I'd like writing angst this much but I did. I'm defiantly not very good at it but it was enjoyable all the same. So here's the last little bit of it. And thank you to all of you who have read since the beginning and encouraged me to continue this! Hope you enjoy! :D **

**And by the way, I don't know anything about wine so I kinda just B. my way through the dinner scene. ..lol**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the character that may or may not appear in this Fanfiction.**

Kurogane set down the phone and took a deep, shuddering breath. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his forehead against the table. A few more deep breaths then he called, "TOMOYO!"

A dark head poked itself into the room rather quickly and Kurogane wondered briefly if she had been eavesdropping. But that didn't matter at this point, he needed her help.

"Yeah big brother?" she answered, smiling happily. Yeah, she'd heard already.

"What am I suppose to wear on a date?"

-----

Fai was jittery to say the least. He was sitting in the back of a taxi, headed to _The Silver Dragon _which was supposedly the best restaurant in the town. He tapped his foot unconsciously against the back of the driver's seat until the driver looked back at him with a questioning gaze. He muttered an apology and turned his attention out the window. Thoughtfully, he went through his mental check list. Hair brushed? Yup. Teeth cleaned? Yeah. Nice clothes? His best. Money to pay for dinner? If tonight went well, hopefully he wouldn't need it. He grinned slightly, he _really_ hoped tonight went well.

The driver pulled up along side the curb and handed Fai his receipt. The blonde passed up a few paper bills and opened his door, hopping out with a skip in his step. As the taxi pulled away, Fai took a look at the dinning establishment. Defiantly fancy and over the top. The entire front was a glass window, allowing passersby to gaze into the environment of elegant decorum and entice them through the crystal doors. Silver lettering declared the logo which was artistically placed over a picture of a dragon breathing fire. Fai took a deep breath and pulled on one of the delicate handles, entering the restaurant.

A small waitress looked up as he entered, a bright, genuine smile lighting up her features. "Welcome to _The Silver Dragon_, sir! How can I help you this evening?"

Fai smiled slightly, and said "Um, I think there was a reservation made under the name Kurogane?" The waitress flipped through a notebook that sat on top of her podium. She stopped on a page and slid her finger down a column, then looked up smiling again.

"Oh! You must be Mr. Flourite! Yes, Mr. Kurogane is already waiting for you, please this way!"

She sailed of down an aisle, Fai falling in behind her. She led him into the back part of the restaurant which was used for the more private reservations. He swallowed nervously and smoothed the front of his white dress shirt. Had he overdressed? Underdressed? Maybe white wasn't his color….He probably looked like a ghost. And his hair! He should have rechecked it before he entered the eatery. And then Fai felt stupid, he was freaking out like a pre-teenage girl! He let his arms drop to his sides and straightened his shoulders. He'd already told off Ashura, Kurogane couldn't be that hard to deal with. But deep inside Fai knew this was much, much more terrifying.

-----

Kurogane fidgeted in his seat. Yeah, he'd gotten to the restaurant early, a little too early. He'd spent the last ten minutes playing around with the utensils on the table in front of him. How else were you suppose to deal with those stupid butterflies in your stomach? He was just in the middle of an epic battle between his knife and spoon when he saw the waitress at the front of restaurant round the corner with a tall, lanky blonde man trailing behind her. He dropped the pieces of metal and jumped to his feet. His reward was an amused grin from Fai and a suppressed giggle from the waitress who pretended not to notice. He reddened. Tonight was not going to be easy.

Kurogane took his seat as Fai did and the waitress set down menus in front on them, "Your server will be with you momentarily. Please enjoy your meal with us this evening!"

Fai murmured a small thanks and turned his attention to Kurogane who was staring at him with a look of confusion and contentment combined. He just smirked again and pulled the wine menu towards himself, flipping it open.

"I believe I was allowed to educate you in the ways of finer drinking tonight, am I correct?" he asked innocently.

Kurogane crooked his head to the side for a moment and then smiled, "Yes, I believe that was the agreement."

Fai flipped through the menu for effect; he'd already decided what he wanted tonight. Kurogane watched his movements with unrestrained interest and Fai laughed internally, he was acting like a puppy. But it was nice, Fai decided, it had been a while since some had actually looked at him and actually seen who Fai was, not what they wanted Fai to be.

Another waitress returned, this one smaller and cheerful. "Hello, my name is Sakura and I'll be serving you tonight. Can I get you some thing to drink?" She looked between the two, not sure who would be doing the ordering. Kurogane inclined his head towards Fai and she turned her attention straight on him. He cleared his throat and smiled handsomely for her benefit. She absolutely glowed under his attention, grinning back merrily. "Two glasses of _Celes's Finest_ please."

She nodded and after placing another set of menus before them, disappeared towards the kitchens.

"_Celes's Finest_?" Kurogane asked, interested.

"Mmhmm, one of the best white wines that has ever come out of Celes country. It's very light and crisp, one of my favorites." Fai smiled slightly.

Kurogane nodded and gazed thoughtfully at Fai. Fai returned the look and they sat there for a few moments in a comfortable silence. Kurogane was the first one to break it. "So why did you chose to run a club?"

Fai was taken aback. It had been a while since he'd been on a date, longer since he'd had a decent conversation with someone other than Ashura, but he didn't remember anyone that had ever been interested in something that he'd done. It made him smile.

-----

They talked quite a bit. Fai told Kurogane all about how he'd always loved to party as a teenager and had vowed to make a club of his own someday. Kurogane told him about how he had become the athletics director at his old high school fresh out of college. They talked about books they'd read, movies they'd seen and interests they shared which turned out to be quite a lot. Fai went on and on about a music career he'd tried to pursue as a pianist and how he'd failed at his very first recital. Kurogane joked about his past failures as a tennis player and how he'd been taken in by the kendo club afterwards. He even talked about his younger sister, Tomoyo, but Fai stayed oddly silent about his own family.

Too soon they had finished their dinner and Kurogane had purchased his own bottle of _Celes's Finest_ to bring home. As they left the restaurant, Kurogane held the door for Fai as he blushed. Fai turned pink as well, not used to such treatment. They had decided that a short walk in the park would be a nice way to end their evening. They talked a little more as they ambled their way down the trail. Just short of the end of the trail Kurogane stopped short and Fai turned, wondering what the matter was.

"Fai," Kurogane started, sounding unsure and uncomfortable. Fai internally winced, here it comes, the 'I never want to see you again'.

"I had a really nice time tonight, but Tomoyo said something that I want to ask you about." Fai looked up sharply, paling.

"She told me that you and Ashura were, uh…well you know…" Kurogane was clearly uncomfortable delving into things that weren't his business. But this was his business, Fai realized. Fai sighed and turned away, ashamed to show his face as he began to speak, his voice barely above a whisper.

"There are some things you ought to know I suppose. I've had a rather broken past, and I'm not trying to be overdramatic. My bother and I were twins, extremely close; after all we only had each other. You see, my mother died in child birth and my father killed himself shortly afterwards, distraught over the loss of my mother. We were put into an orphanage and went from family to family for a while. Ten years ago we had finally found a nice family and they had genuinely cared about us. We were so happy…" Fai broke off, voice choked. Kurogane came to stand next to him, still silent but Fai took comfort in his closeness. He continued, "One night I convinced Yui to go to a party with me, he'd had a lot homework that he'd wanted to finish but I made him go anyway. We were on our way home, a lot later then we planned, when a drunk driver hit us. We were taken to the hospital but both of us were out for weeks. When I finally came to they told me that Yui hadn't made it."

Fai felt the trickle of tears begin to cascade down his face but he didn't care and continued, "I didn't want to return to the home that used to be ours. I couldn't face them, after all, it's my entire fault that Yui died. The man who found us on the street offered to take me in. His name was Ashura. I lived with him for a while but when I turned eighteen I moved out, not wanting to intrude on his life any further. But we still visited with each other. It was actually only two years ago that we became anything other then friends. It felt right at the time, he cared for me, that much was obvious and he understood that I was still broken. But slowly our relationship began to degrade. I was only a pretty object that he could flaunt when he wanted, I didn't mind though, I owed him my life." Fai was now shivering, not from the cold but from his memories. Kurogane steered him towards a stone bench that they both sank down onto. Fai looked up at the dark man, blue eyes meeting concerned red.

"And then I met you. And you flipped my world on its side. Scattering all that I thought made sense and releasing something that I hadn't known in a long, long time. Myself. I felt comfortable and free to be me around you. You actually made me smile and laugh. I hadn't realized what I'd become until then. And I realized how unhappy I was." Fai inhaled, "So in answer to your question, Ashura and I are nothing more then acquaintances now. I broke if off right before I called you." Fai smiled tearfully, "Ashura was quite shocked, he usually gets what he wants."

Fai fell silent, drying his watery eyes on the sleeve of his now ruined shirt. The man beside him was still silent and Fai didn't know what to expect next. Then…

Kurogane turned to him, "I'm sorry for all your losses, but what do you want me to say to all that?"

Fai shrugged, smiling weakly, "I don't know, something along the lines of 'Get lost' I guess…."

Kurogane shook his head, "Oui, that's for soap operas. Fai, whatever was between you and Ashura was in the past. I truly like you and I'd like to spend more time with you, despite the fact that you think you're broken. If that's true, then I'll just help you carry the pieces."

Fai looked right into Kurogane's eyes and all he could find was honesty and sincerity. The man was willing to take all of him, broken and not. What could he say to that? Instead of saying anything, he let his head fall back and sighed loudly. "I think I'd like that…."

**A/N: Aww…. the utter mush of it all! I love happy endings! Well, that's it for my first angst Fanfiction. Kurogane's rather blunt when he wants to be and Fai's just a drama queen but it's enough to make me smile. Let me know what you think in a Review please. I have a short KuroFai oneshot in the making so be sure to check back for it if you're interested. **


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